Art of stiffening portion of boots and shoes



'J. FAUSSE Feb. 11, 1930.

ART OF STIFFENING PORTIONS OF BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Aug. 5, 1926 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH FAUSSE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CELASTIC CORPORA- TION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ART OF STIFFENING PORTIONS OF BOOTS AND SHOES I Application filed August 6, 1926. Serial No. 127,422.

This invention relates to methods of stiffening parts of boots and shoes, to a stifi'ener blank and to the material from which the blank is made, the invention being herein illustrated in its application to the stiffening of the toe portions of uppers although not limited in the scope of its application to the particular portion of the shoe to which reference has been made.

Inthe manufacture of certain types of shoes, for example those in which no toe cap is used, it is customary to'incorporate in the toe portion of the upper a thin stiffener commonly known as a soft box toe. Hitherto such stiifeners have been unsatisfactory due to the fact that, although when new they have supported the toe portion 'of the upper in a proper manner, they have presently broken down more or less as the shoe was subjected to wear so that in acshort time the shoe has become unsightly because of a wrinkled and broken down toe portion. In order to remedy this difliculty the invention, in one aspect, provides a method which comprises treating with a stiffening substance, a stifi'ener blank made of a plu rality of layers of fabric cemented together, imparting to the blank the proper shape, and permitting the stiffening substance to harden. In the illustrative procedure a stiffener blank composed of two layers of a fabric having a nap, such as cotton flannel, cemented together by a film of vulcanized rubber is impregnated .with a resilient stiffening substance, such as rubber dispersed in an aqueous vehicle, and incorporated while wet in the upper of the shoe. During the lasting operation the stiffener is conformed to the last; and after an interval sufficient to permit the liquid to evaporate, the dispersed rubber coagulates. By thus making use of a stiffener blank which is normally resilient by reason of the pres? ence in it of vulcanized rubber and then adding more rubber, a satisfactory stiffener of the flexible type results'the resilience of which remains practically unchanged throughout the life of the shoe.

In another aspect the invention relates to a material comprising a plurality of layers of fabric cemented together with a resilient substance and adapted to absorb a stiffening substance, the illustrated material being that which has been referred to above in the description of the method.

In still another aspect the invention relates to the stiffener blank referred to in the description of the method.

Referring now to the accompanying drawlngs,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in perspective of a piece of sheet material from which the stillener blanks are died out, portions of the layers having been pulled apart, and

Fig. 2 is a plan of a box toe blank which has been died out of the stock.

The material from which the illustrated stiffener blanks are made consists of a plurality of layers of fabric 3 held together by a film of vulcanized rubber 5. This stock may be made by applying a thin coating of unvulcanized rubber to one sheet of fabric, superposing the other sheet upon the coating, pressing the layers firmly together and then subjecting the rubber to vulcanization. This three-ply material, it should be noted, possesses considerable resilience which is not affected by any degree of heat to which the material may be subjected nor by moisture. The fabric 3'should preferably be capable of absorbing a considerable, amount of liquid and is herein. shown as a fabric such as cotton flannel having a considerable nap.

From this laminated material the stifi'ener 7 is died out .in the usual manner and is preferably skived along its rear margin. In incorporating such a stiffener in a shoe it is desirable to increase its stiffness somewhat and to cause it to become firmly bonded to the lining and adjacent portion of the assembled shoe upper; and to this endthe blank is impregnated with an adhesive material preferably by dipping it into a solution or dispersion of such a material before incorporating it in the shoe upper. A very satisfactory medium for this purpose is an aqueous dispersion of rubber such as commercial rubber latex either of the natural or the artificial variety to which may be added, if desired, various ingredients to modify its qualities. While the blank is still wet it is incorporated 100 in the shoe upper andthe u per lasted in the usual manner, during whic operation the stiffener is caused to conform to the last. The lasted shoe is then permitted to stand for an interval until the liquid evaporates and the dissolved or dispersed material solidifies.

By thus making use of a stiffener blank which is itself resilient and then impregnating it with a substance which bonds it to the upper and is itself resilient, a long wearing flexible box toe results which retains its shape.

As described above, the proper sha e is imparted to the stiffener by incorporating it in the upper and conforming it to the last during the lasting operation. It is obvious, however, that the shaping of the stiffener may be caused to take place in other ways which may or may not involve the simultaneous shaping of the corresponding portion of the upper.

Although the invention has been set forth in connection with a particular stiffener treated in a particular manner it should be understoodthat the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular stiffener and treatment which has been shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of making stiffened portions of boots and shoes which consists in treating with an aqueous dispersion of rubber a stiffener blank comprising a plurality of layers of fabric cemented together with a water-proof resilient material, incorporating the blank in the upper of the shoe, conforming the upper with the blank therein to a last, and permitting the stiffening substance to harden.

2. The method of makin tions of boots and shoes w ich consists in treating with an aqueous disperson of rubber a stiffener blank -comprising a plurality of layers of fabric cemented together with vulcanized rubber, incorporating the blank in the upper of the shoe, conforming the upper with the blank therein to a last, and permitting the water to evaporate.

3. The method of making stiffened portions of boots and shoes which consists'in treating- 4. A stiffener blank ready to be incorpo rated in the upper of a shoe, said blank comprising a resilient base wet with a liquid carrying a substance which when solid is also resilient.

5. A stiffener blank ready to be incorporated in the upper of a shoe, said blank comprising a resilient base having a nap wet with a hguid carrying a substance which when soli is also resihent.

6. The method of makin stiffened portions of boots and shoes w ich consists in treatin with an aqueous dispersion of rubber a stiffener blank comprising a plurality of layers of fabric cemented together with a resilient substance, imparting to the blank the desired shape and permitting the water to evaporate.

7. A stiffener blank ready to be incorporated in the upper of a shoe, said blank compr sing a plurality of layers of fabric cemente together with vulcanized rubber said fabric layers being im regnated wit an aqueous dis rson of rub er.

8. A sti ener blank for boots and shoes comprising a film of vulcanized rubber between two layers of fabric, said layers being bonded together by the vulcanized rubber and having an absorbent napped surface to receive and hold a stiffening substance.

9. A stiffener blank ready to be incorporated in the upper of a shoe, said blank comprising a pluralit of layers of fabric bonded together by a ayer of vulcanized rubber,

one of said fabric layers having an absorbent nap impregnated with a sticky stiffening substance.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH FAUSSE.

stifiened por- 

